1st level Cleric spells

[ajtheronin]

Hi, new poster here.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I can't find how 1st level Cleric get their spells.

The spells are:

1. Chosen at random like a wizard?
2. The player select the spells?


Thanks for reading and your time.

[maxinstuff]

There is lots of information about things ALL clerics can do (lay on hands and turn unholy) - but I don't think this is addressed.

I had the player roll them randomly (I think there is a table for this) and also gave him a unique ability related to the patron/deity.

[ajtheronin]

I was considering that. Still I'm not sure what dice to roll since table 5-9 goes up to 11 (perhaps a d12 and ignore any result of 12).

[Rick]

I allow them to choose, but if you go with random selection I'd follow the advice on page 124 & also allow the cleric player to drop up to half of the randomly determined spells & replace them with those of his or her choosing.

Picking and rolling: Although the concept of randomly
determined spells is entertaining and fits with the original
concept of Vancian magic, the author has found that it can
be disruptive in actual play. No one wants to play the wizard
with four useless spells! If the random determination
results in a level 1 wizard with useless spells, the author
recommends allowing the player to drop up to half the randomly
produced spells and choose replacements.

[Ravenheart87]

I give them based on what god they follow.

[IronWolf]

We've had this one come up as a question for the Spellburn podcast rather frequently - and we didn't cover it on the Cleric episode! So I expect a future episode to comment on it when we go through email.

As for me, I had the clerics roll their spells randomly (the deity gives the cleric the spells the deity thinks they need). The spells they get are the only spells they know. I would allow a cleric to quest for changing them.

I am open to change in future games though (or even mid-way through my current campaign).

[ajtheronin]

Thanks for all the answers. Appreciated.